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As 2015 closes, it is a time of reflection on the previous year and looking forward to the coming year. This past year has been momentous, especially in regards to my mental health. I went on depression medication about a year and anxiety medication about 11 months ago and it was the best decision I made; I am a lot more relaxed and am starting to see what my threshold is for things and am starting to feel somewhat "normal", if there is such a thing. As for reading, there were plenty of good books that I read, but I will have more on this in the coming weeks, once I get my computer back. I realize that this is short, but I can't think of much else.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

My week:Read a little bit, as most of my reading happened in the previous weeks, when I had more materials on hand and wasn't recovering from a busy week of Christmas related events. I did start reading The Science of The Big Bang Theory and als started A Duty to the Dead as well. I don't know how much I'll read tomorrow, as it is a travel day for me and by the time I get home, I'll probably be tired.

Current Reads:• The Science of The Big Bang Theory • A Duty to the Dead

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and hopefully got some bookish items under the tree this year. I did get the main book that I wanted, which was A Little Life. I got some other things that I wanted, which was a Vancouver Canucks jersey and a Fitbit One. It was nice to see my sister again and was nice to get back on the hill again; my ankle was fine, but ended up terribly sore in my upper thighs.

I also ordered a bunch of books and a Christmas CD, which should arrive shortly before the New Year. I hope to have some more reading challenges up in the next few days. I hope you have had some time to catch-up with family and friends over the last few days.

I am having issues logging into my Google account on Windows 10 so until further notice, I will be blogging via my Wordpress account. I could always blog on my phone, it is really difficult to blog here, especially when one relies on a full laptop screen to type on. So for the time being, I will be blogging at http://jaynesbooks.wordpress.com. I hope that this won't be permanent move.

I was working on my book reviews this afternoon and realized that I am getting closer to getting caught up with my reviews for this year. I don't know how much longer it will take me to complete them, but I should be able to get fully caught up within the next couple of weeks.

And to top it off, I have been getting closer to my goal of completing 75 books; only four more and I will have achieved my goal, even if one of them is a DNF.

Here are the reviews since my last Salon post:• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nivens (review)• Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar (review)• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (review)• Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (review)• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (review)• The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal (review)

Description: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . . ." With her grandmother's taunt, Louise knew that she, like the biblical Esau, was the despised elder twin. Caroline, her selfish younger sister, was the one everyone loved.

Growing up on a tiny Chesapeake Bay island in the early 1940s, angry Louise reveals how Caroline robbed her of everything: her hopes for schooling, her friends, her mother, even her name. While everyone pampered Caroline, Wheeze (her sister's name for her) began to learn the ways of the watermen and the secrets of the island, especially of old Captain Wallace, who had mysteriously returned after fifty years. The war unexpectedly gave this independent girl a chance to fulfill her childish dream to work as a watermen alongside her father. But the dream did not…

Description: Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up. (via Amazon.ca)

Thoughts: I read this book this past summer because I wanted to have the storyline fresh in my mind when I read Go Set A Watchman. It also didn't help that I hadn't read the book in over 20 years and the book had become fuzzy and couldn't quite remember when things happened in the book. …

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there's nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra.

Is she ever in for a surprise.

First Mom announces that she's dating Mia's Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn't have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance? (via Goodreads)Thoughts: It was a pretty easy and quick read for me. The characters are well-developed and there were some interesting subplots that kept me entertained. Bottom line: For those that have seen the movie, you may find the book more interesting and the characters more developed. Highly recommended for teen readers. Rating: 3.25/5

Description: Professor Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous and remarkable scientists of our age and the author of the scientific bestseller A Brief History of Time, which has sold more than 25 million copies. In this compelling memoir, his first wife, Jane Hawking, relates the inside story of their extraordinary marriage. As Stephen's academic renown soared, his body was collapsing under the assaults of a motor neuron disease. Jane's candid account of trying to balance his 24-hour care with the needs of their growing family reveals the inner strength of the author, while the self-evident character and achievements of her husband make for an incredible tale presented with unflinching honesty. Jane's candor is no less apparent when the marriage finally ends in a high-profile meltdown, with…

Description: Anna Benz, an American in her late thirties, lives with her Swiss husband, Bruno—a banker—and their three young children in a postcard-perfect suburb of Zürich. Though she leads a comfortable, well-appointed life, Anna is falling apart inside. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect with the emotionally unavailable Bruno or even with her own thoughts and feelings, Anna tries to rouse herself with new experiences: German language classes, Jungian analysis, and a series of sexual affairs she enters with an ease that surprises even her.

But Anna can’t easily extract herself from these affairs. When she wants to end them, she finds it’s difficult. Tensions escalate, and her lies start to spin out of control. Having crossed a moral threshold, Anna will discover where a woman goes when there is no going back. (via Goodreads)Thoughts: This was …

Description: Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

That is, until the Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their co…

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

My week:Started to get caught up on my book reviews and hence my book reading has suffered as a result. Hopefully I can do a bit of each this coming week, but with a number of things up this coming week, the reading may suffer yet again.

Current reads:• An Irish Country Christmas

• While We're Far Apart• Let it Snow

What I read last week: • Circling the Sun• The Mistletoe Inn

What I reviewed this week:• The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber (review)• Ru by Kim Thúy (review)• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (…

Description: World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow—including one of Maggie’s dearest friends—Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it’s the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war—and indel…

Description: Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure - one that will threaten their lives and our universe. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had heard a lot about how a lot of podcasters that I listen to liked this book as kids and thought I would give it a try. To make it plain, this is probably something that should be read first as a kid, but each reader is different. Basically I couldn't make heads over tails about what the book was trying to say.

Bottom line: Probably more ideal for middle grade readers that like science fiction or fantasy. Recommended.

Description: Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Description:This is the testament of Paul Bäumer, who enlists with his classmates in the German army of World War I. These young men become enthusiastic soldiers, but their world of duty, culture, and progress breaks into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches.

Through years of vivid horror, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the hatred that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against one another... if only he can come out of the war alive. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: This was my book club's selection this past June and the third time that I have read the book. It was interesting to read the book on my own for the first time (first two times I read the book were for course work…

Description: London, 1905: The city is alight with change, and the Stephen siblings are at the forefront. Vanessa, Virginia, Thoby, and Adrian are leaving behind their childhood home and taking a house in the leafy heart of avant-garde Bloomsbury. There they bring together a glittering circle of bright, outrageous artistic friends who will grow into legend and come to be known as the Bloomsbury Group. And at the center of this charmed circle are the devoted, gifted sisters: Vanessa, the painter, and Virginia, the writer.Each member of the group will go on to earn fame and success eventually, but so far Vanessa Bell has never sold a painting. Virginia Woolf's book review has just been turned down by The Times. Lytton Strachey has not published anything. E. M. Forster has finished his first novel but does not like the title. Leonard Woolf is stil…

Description: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. (via Goodreads)Though…

Some of you noticed that earlier last week, I put up something in regards to how I should go about catching up on my backlog of book reviews. I don't know why I was possessed to start catching up on my book reviews at this time of year, but I felt the need to start up on them while it was still 2015.

So I have spent the last few days working on book reviews rather than on my reading. But I did get about a number of them posted and hope to work on get more during the week.

Here are the reviews that I posted this past week:
• The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber (review)
• Ru by Kim Thúy (review)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (review)
• Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb (review)
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott (review)
• And Nothing But the Truth by Kit Pearson (review)
• Wolf Hall by Hilary by Hilary Mantel (review)
• The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham (review)
• Shadow of Darkness by Deborah Harkness …

Description: Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?(via Goodreads)Thoughts: After reading a couple of books that were weren't in my normal wheelhouse, it was nice to read something that was more in line with what I normally read. And by the end of the book, I could see the appea…

Description:Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared.

Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan's body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts ab…

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör comes packaged in the form of a glossy mail order catalog, complete with product illustrations, a home delivery order form, and a map of Orsk’s labyrinthine showroom. (via Goodreads)Thoughts: I had heard q…

Description: Richard Flanagan's story — of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor haunted by a love affair with his uncle's wife — journeys from the caves of Tasmanian trappers in the early twentieth century to a crumbling pre-war beachside hotel, from a Thai jungle prison to a Japanese snow festival, from the Changi gallows to a chance meeting of lovers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Taking its title from 17th-century haiku poet Basho's travel journal, The Narrow Road To The Deep North is about the impossibility of love. At its heart is one day in a Japanese slave labour camp in August 1943. As the day builds to its horrific climax, Dorrigo Evans battles and fails in his quest to save the lives of his fellow POWs, a man is killed for no reason, and a love story unfolds. (via Goodreads).Thoughts: I will admit that the only rea…